Fear may be a challenge for many of us as we journey through life’s difficulties and the unknown. We fear that we will lose something we have or perhaps that we won’t get what we want. But one thing we can be sure of is that if God promises something, we will receive it. So fear not!

Unfortunately, fear often keeps us from enjoying all that God wants to give us. Sometimes we even fear what might happen if we put our trust completely in Christ and give up all control and lean on Him instead of our own ability and understanding. But as we consider how the Israelites gave in to their fear of going into the Promised Land, we can relate that to where we are now as we stand for our marriages and God’s promise of healing and restoration.

In Numbers 13 and 14, we see clearly what happens when God gives a promise and His people let fear hinder their ability to put their trust in Him. The twelve scouts were sent to explore the land of Canaan; the Promised Land, the land God told Moses He was giving to the Israelites. God had told the Israelites that the Promised Land was rich and fertile. And when ten of the scouts reported back, they provided plenty of proof of that and good reasons to continue on to the Promised Land, but their focus was more on fear of the negative things they saw. Even though they had God’s promise, they still refused to let go of their fear and trust Him. Yet, Joshua and Caleb stayed focused on God’s promise, and trusted Him, as they were willing to do as He commanded. But the people’s fear grew with the negative report of the ten who did not trust God, and with their doubt came delay; God turned an eleven day journey to the Promised Land into forty years of wandering in the wilderness.

Sadly, fear can interfere with trusting and believing in God’s promise even to the point of forgetting His promise. So we cannot let negative circumstances or situations cause us to lose sight of the promises God has given in His Word and put in our hearts and minds. Satan can even blind us to God’s power and His promise to help guide us with wisdom and discernment. The enemy wants us to lean on our own understanding, and rely on our emotions and feelings, and that causes our faith to fail.

When we doubt God, we feel defeated and discouraged, and wander aimlessly without hope, like the Israelites, and accomplish nothing and that hinders growth in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We can read, study, and meditate on God’s Word constantly, but if we fail to believe His Word and the promises He gives us and do not act on its power and authority, then we remain helpless and without hope. But we have the truth of God’s Word at our disposal and by trusting and being obedient, we can confidently believe and easily conquer what Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

It’s amazing to see how those ten men were able to influence those who trusted them and gave into their doubt and fear, even though they had God’s promise! So we have to be cautious when we hear from anyone who voices their doubt and fear to us as we stand for the restoration of our marriages. We have to be confident in what God has promised and pray for wisdom and discernment. And we need to support and encourage others to trust, believe and live obedient lives, as God is ALWAYS faithful to His Word.

Blessings!

Related Scripture: Numbers 13 and 14

Since I often counsel others that when the Lord gives us a burden or concern about something, He usually means for us to deal with it in some way, I found myself challenged to take my own counsel today. And even though this might be another controversial topic, it comes from my heart and in obedience to what I know the Lord wants me to share. So it is my most sincere hope and prayer that it will be understood and received in the manner intended and that it will shed the light of God’s Word on a matter of great importance; because it is possible for some of our sincere and well intended prayers to actually hinder the work of the Holy Spirit as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families. But I need to acknowledge that I was once quite guilty of self-righteous, judgmental, prideful and quite ineffective prayer myself, because I too had been taught to pray in a manner contrary to the very specific instructions found in the New Testament; including the examples provided by Jesus Himself.

Yet, it just breaks my heart now to hear men and women say (not to mention actually pray) that they continually pray for the Lord to deliver their spouse from this and that sin, to bring about consequences leading them to repentance (even though I am pretty sure there might well be at least one Seeds Of Faith post way back in the archives where I even suggested doing that!), not to let them have a moment of peace or happiness until they return home, to “break” them…and so on. I just wonder where and how we learned to pray that way for our one flesh husbands and wives; the very men and women we profess to love. It’s certainly not the example Jesus provided and not at all in keeping with any of the prayers in the New Testament. And we sure don’t find any of that in Jesus’ very specific instructions about prayer in Matthew 6:5-15.In fact, quite the contrary; Jesus makes it VERY clear that we can NOT expect God to forgive our debts and sins if we haven’t forgiven the debts and sins of others. So we ignore the significance of that being stated and emphasized so strongly in the context of Jesus’ instructions concerning prayer at our own peril and loss. And the best and most powerful example of what pleases God in terms of prayer concerning the sin of those we love is Jesus’ prayer on the cross, where He WHO WAS TOTALLY BLAMELESS, in perfect love and humility prayed “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) And then Stephen demonstrated the same genuine humility and loving concern for those who were stoning him when he prayed “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:59-60)

We can’t truly understand the above examples, and read all of the other prayers in the New Testament, without realizing that God is not pleased with prayers enumerating our spouses’ sin and asking Him to bring them to repentance; particularly when focusing on the sins of others (especially when we ourselves are so far from perfect) is by its very nature being self-righteous and judgmental according to Luke 6:38-42; not to mention quite contrary to what Jesus taught repeatedly. And we should be quite humbled by the knowledge that it is ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD that our situations with our spouses are not reversed. And since we know that God lifts up and gives grace to the humble, but OPPOSES the proud (1 Peter 5:5-6), walking humbly before our spouses and under the mighty hand of God is particularly important as we stand for marriage restoration. So when we lose sight of our own sin or somehow think that God is any less displeased with the sin and disobedience in our own lives, and feel justified to ask God to deal with the sin and disobedience of our spouses, we are in fact being prideful. And when we go before God with that attitude, He has to honor and uphold His own Word, which means He has to OPPOSE such prayers. So there’s no doubt that God is a lot more pleased when our prayers are more focused on bringing about the changes He desires in OUR HEARTS and in US as we learn to love, honor and respect our husbands and wives unconditionally. Every time I hear someone praying for God to deal with their spouse’s sin and asking Him to bring them to repentance or “give them a repentant heart,” I’m painfully reminded of The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14). So let’s not forget what Jesus told those who were fully justified by the law to stone the woman caught in adultery; He said “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

But the wonder and beauty of praying for blessings, prosperity, joy, happiness and peace for our spouses and for the power of the Holy Spirit to move in their hearts, minds, spirits and lives, is that there’s absolutely no need to self-righteously and judgmentally focus on their need for repentance, because that is what happens when the Holy Spirit moves in all of us. Yet, when we truly understand and put our faith and trust in the power and promise of God’s Word, we know that covering our spouses with prayers for peace, blessings and prosperity is in effect asking that they be brought to repentance; because we know that none of those prayers can or will be answered until they are living in right relationship with both God and us. So our prayers should be those of spouses seeking and expecting God’s very best for our husbands and wives, as we’re instructed in His Word, and not those of proud, self-righteous, or judgmental spouses more focused on the destructive and sinful nature of our husbands and wives. We need to pray for them the same way we would if they were in fact already living with us as the spouses and parents God intended them to be and in right relationship with Him; because those are the prayers of a truly righteous person, which the Bible assures us are very powerful and effective and will avail much! The power of our faith filled prayers can then be used to speak the Word of God into existence in our spouses and marriages, especially since Psalm 103:20 says Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. And since 2 Corinthians 10:6 makes it clear that God isn’t going to deal with our spouses’ disobedience until our obedience is made complete, it seems to make a lot more sense to spend our time in prayer asking the Lord to deal with OUR HEARTS and to bring US TO REPENTANCE.

And one of the MOST amazing and unexpected benefits of changing our prayers so that they bless and lift up our spouses, is that WE are the ones who are changed and benefit the most, because it’s a lot easier to feel love, admiration and respect for our husbands and wives when we are praying and speaking into being the positive things we are called to desire for them instead of continually identifying them and presenting them before the Lord as terrible sinners in need of repentance. So, I hope an pray that the next time we’re tempted to pray for God to deal with the sin and disobedience in our spouses lives, we will take our own inventory and ask the Lord to deal with and cleanse our own unrepentant hearts and the sin and disobedience in our lives instead. And as difficult as it might be for anyone who has not yet made it to that place in their walk and relationship with the Lord to understand and believe; I can assure you, as I’m sure many others can (an hopefully will) that it is indeed possible to love our spouses without being hurt and devastated by the disobedience in their lives. In other words, we REALLY CAN walk in the amazing love described in 1 Corinthians 13! and since we have no greater calling as Christians, especially in our roles as husbands and wives; when we learn to walk in God’s love and realize that it really does cover over the sin, wrong doing and offenses of those we love, we are the ones who are blessed and rewarded! That’s when we will experience joy (the strength of our salvation) and the peace of God that transcends all understanding as we confidently stand for the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families; because that’s when our prayers WILL change and instead of being hindered or opposed, they will be the powerful and effective prayers of righteous men and women and we will be greatly blessed and encouraged!

With each new marriage restoration we’re blessed to witness, comes even greater understanding of God’s ways and His unfailing faithfulness to fulfill and uphold His Word. And one thing God has demonstrated over and over again is that we will either remain victims of our circumstances or be victorious in Christ; but we can NOT be both!

While wallowing in self pity and reveling in our role as victims hinders marriage restoration for many reasons; one of the most serious is that we have obviously not forgiven those we feel have victimized us, and are thus not demonstrating the same grace and mercy God has so richly and lavishly bestowed upon us, which greatly displeases and even angers Him, as revealed in The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant )Matthew 18:21-34). And it’s definitely not heeding the warnings and instructions Jesus gave us in Luke 6:27-49 about loving and blessing those who mistreat us, treating others as we wish to be treated, dealing with our own sin before worrying about that of others, the kind of fruit we bear, and whether or not we’re building our homes on a solid foundation or sinking sand according to how well we DO what His Word teaches us to do.

And how unfortunate it is that the real significance of Luke 6:38 is often overlooked or misstated; because it is often referred to in terms of money (usually tithes and offerings), and yet that is not at all the context in which it was written. Luke 6:36-38 actually says Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” And then the verses after that deal with removing the plank in our own eyes before trying to remove a speck in someone else’s eye. So “For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” is ACTUALLY referring to getting back what we give to others in terms of mercy, judgment, condemnation and forgiveness, and being treated and receiving according to how we treat and what we give to others.

When Jesus told us that we would have to pick up our cross daily to follow Him (Luke 9:23), He literally meant that we would have to crucify our flesh every day of our lives to experience the victorious and abundant life He came to give us. And that’s certainly what giving up our rightful identities as victims requires. It’s not denying or condoning the wrong and harm done to us, but it is making a CHOICE to be merciful, to forgive and to love as God commands us to love. And that means covering over ALL wrongs (Proverbs 10:12), covering over a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8), covering over an offense (Proverbs 17:9), and everything else the Lord teaches us about love in 1 Corinthians 13.

When we follow the instructions and heed the warnings of the above passages of scripture and seek a closer walk and relationship with Jesus Christ as we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, we can be absolutely assured that God will bless us and give us supernatural favor as HE lifts us up and as HE works to restore our marriages and families. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. And then Psalm 37:4-6 promises Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. And we see that happen over and over again in the ministry, but one of the most powerful and awe inspiring testimonies we’ve all witness was recently summarized on the private website. And since MNO (member name omitted) certainly had way more than enough reason to feel victimized by her circumstances, and she refused to be anything less than victorious in Jesus Christ, I asked for and received permission to share her post here. So it is my sincerest hope and prayer that reading how the Lord has blessed MNO for her faithful obedience to DO what His Word teaches, will be a blessing and encourage everyone standing for marriage restoration to glorify the Lord by CHOOSING to be victorious in Christ instead of remaining a victim of circumstance. And when you do, you will certainly be blessed and encouraged! Now here’s MNO’s slightly edited post!

Have Faith even when Things Look Impossible

I’m writing this in response to Linda’s response to my post last night. When I read all of that, it reminds me so much that it was ONLY by God’s grace that I made it through those times. As she mentioned, when I came to FAMM just one year ago, I was in such a pit. My husband had just left a few months earlier, and when he left, I was left with the apartment AND all of the bills that came with it. But I had no source of income, no driver’s license, and I barely had a way to the grocery store each week to get food for my family. As a matter of fact, I relied on my mother to take me where I needed to go, but her car was uninspected and according to her mechanic, on the verge of total break down. But she faithfully took me to the grocery store about once a week, and was able to take me to Wal-Mart about once a month to get diapers. And it was always a bumpy ride, because the car shook like crazy whenever we went below 35 MPH! And when we passed a police car, she just prayed that he wouldn’t see her inspection sticker.

I was able to make a few dollars writing articles on the internet; about three to six dollars per article. At times, I was writing for four hours a day, and it was that money that allowed me to buy diapers and wipes for my two children. My oldest was potty trained, but still often needed a diaper. I remember telling him one day that he would just have to wait until I could get to the store because I didn’t have an extra diaper for him; I needed the few I had left for my youngest son, who was only one year old. Things just looked so scary at that time in my life.

I was pregnant, but I really wanted to work so I could keep my apartment, which I had already been told I was about to lose if a rent payment didn’t come in. But there were so many barriers because I didn’t have a drivers license, and there was no one to watch the children. In all of that, I kept hearing God tell me to be still and make my house my home. I didn’t understand it all, but I did what the Lord told me to do; I was still.

I remember my grandmother, and countless others telling me that I was going to end up on the streets, and they were all shocked that I had peace. I didn’t know if I would really end up on the streets, but I knew I was in God’s hands, and I KNEW that He told me to be still and make my house my home. So I KNEW that’s what I had to do.

By the time I came to FAMM, I had just taken my son’s piggy bank to the grocery store to cash it in at the Coin Star machine. I was entirely out of money; I had nothing left. By that time, my rent was close to two months behind, and I had run out of everything from trash bags to Q-Tips! And I had already gone to the court house and got an order for child support, but when we rely on the court system, we will find it fails us. Just because I had a paper stating I should receive a little over four hundred dollars a month certainly didn’t guarantee it, and it actually wasn’t until about 6 months after the court order that I finally got my first payment!

When I came to this ministry, and Linda asked about my finances, I finally told her everything. I was so strong on the outside, but with everything going on, I had to tell someone what I was going through who wouldn’t pile all of the blame on my husband. I was learning how to love SNO (spouse name omitted) unconditionally, and exposing all of the things that were going on inside of my home would have just made so many people even angrier with him. But Linda wanted to keep the focus on ME; she wanted to give me hope and help in those trying times, and she wanted to make sure that I developed skills that would ultimately lead to a more stable future for me and my kids.

She shared my circumstances with the men and women in the ministry and amazingly, there were so many who were willing to contribute financially to help me. One member sent me a huge package of toys that her children had grown out of; other members sent in money to pay for various things that came up, and other members contributed a steady amount of money for my incidentals. Members got together and month by month, were able to get my rent current! As I said, Linda wanted me to focus on me, and what I could do, so she asked me to seriously make efforts to get my drivers license and work on getting my GED, along with contacting countless agencies looking for some kind of housing assistance.

Some may think that I jumped up and shouted, “Sure, no problem!” But it wasn’t that easy. My mind was still thinking in the flesh. I thought Linda didn’t understand that I couldn’t drive; I didn’t know how, and I didn’t have ANYONE who was willing to teach me. Remember, my mother had an uninspected car, and that was pretty much all I had. My grandmother never let anyone drive her car, unless she trusted their driving, and she lived about an hour away! But Linda and other’s in the fellowship encouraged me to look outside of the box; maybe someone from church could help. Amazingly the was a man who offered to teach me how to drive for free, but he never followed through. And I really didn’t even see how having a license would help me; I didn’t have any money. So how could I ever afford a car; much less the gas and insurance or repairs and maintenance?

I felt like I was running into walls everywhere. ALL of the agencies I contacted literally said “You don’t qualify!” In order to receive assistance, I needed to work a certain amount of hours…or have a drivers license…or go to school at least part time. What ever the criteria; I wasn’t qualified!

And doors kept closing on almost everything I tried to do. I wanted to study for my GED, but the only class in my area was beyond walking distance, and did not offer childcare. I really felt like telling Linda, “I tried…I failed…I can’t!” But if you know her like I do, you know she has a way of pointing out when we are doing things on our own, instead of leaning on God.

Throughout all of that, I was still able to have the peace that the Lord had given me, and I just kept praying; almost hours a day. I started to develop and really learned how to walk WITH God. Those moments when my flesh said, “Give up.”, my spirit said “God has given you faith to move mountains, now move ’em!” Every day that passed had new challenges, but as my character became molded into a woman of faith, I began to see pieces of the mountain chipping away.

And those were just the struggles for my own survival. I had many more with SNO. Usually every week something would lead me to tears; he was so cold and indifferent toward me and our children, even as I tried to change myself. It was hard, because my first response was still very much in the flesh, and I had to put out so many small fires daily that my patience was wearing thin. But God’s grace is sufficient for me! Thank you, Lord!

There was not one day that was easy; yet as time passed, I dealt with the next day better than the last. I refused to give up, and consistently dusted myself off when I fell, and never lost sight of God’s promises for my life, my marriage and for His provision. I got my learner’s permit and literally scheduled the test before I had even sat in a car! I was ultimately able, with the financial help of FAMM, to get a driving instructor, and use my grandmother’s car to take and pass my drivers test and get a 1996 Honda Accord in my name, and on my insurance! And it doesn’t stop there; God covered my housing too! Just as the ministry practically ran out of funds to continue paying for my apartment and incidentals, I received a phone call from a local agency asking if I still wanted to apply for their housing program. And even more amazing, the only two openings they had were filled by me and my mother! She is in apartment B, and I am in apartment C!!

And one week before I signed the lease, I filled out a section 8 application for the list, which had just opened in my county, and was put on the list immediately. Today, just a few months later, I have a letter asking me to pick up my vouchers on July 30th!

Through my own research, I tracked down a government program that allowed me to study from home for my GED for free! But I soon found out that I was more educated than I realized. I decided to take the pre-test and scored way above average, and will be taking the exam in about 1 month!

And a few weeks after I moved in here, I was able to claim the restoration of my marriage! My husband’s heart was completely transformed, and he realized that he wants to be home. He no longer sees himself with the NCP (non-covenant person), but rather with me, his wife. And because God has given me such strong faith, I am able to relax while he still lives there, because I know his heart is home. There is a saying; “Home is where the heart is.” And with that said, SNO is home in his heart!

I should also mention that my current landlords stipulated that SNO can not live here. As a matter of fact, they were considering not even allowing him on the premises, but praise the Lord, that was not included or mentioned when I signed the lease. My section 8 housing will be much more flexible, and he will be welcomed on the property without question! So as you can see, god is paving the way for SNO to come home, by moving me out of this apartment, even though I just moved in a few months ago!

For those who have helped, I have to say it again, “THANK YOU!” Just writing this has rekindled all of those feelings of the absolute awe I had when I saw God touching your hearts to help me as you did. I have said it so many times; God could have put a pile of money on my table with just a word. He really could, but He chooses to use us as his instruments. So whether giving, ministering, encouraging or just being a listening ear, He uses us! It’s the same with our marriages; He could have changed our marriages with a snap of His finger! He could bring our spouses home the second they leave, but He uses our circumstances and other people, and in His perfect timing, it all comes together, and we are rescued! So have faith even when things look impossible!

I just about want to scream every time someone says (or writes) “It’s hard!”–that’s so totally contrary to the Word of God and like announcing to all who hear us that we’re NOT walking in the grace, strength and power of Jesus Christ; thus revealing the sin and lack of faith in our lives as Christians. In fact, the King James Bible ACTUALLY tells us in Proverbs 13:15 that Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors (unfaithful in NIV and “treacherous” in NASB) is hard. And then in Matthew 11:30, Jesus said For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. And then Proverbs 3:5-6 very clearly declares Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.. So thinking and saying that anything is “hard” obviously means (and forecasts to everyone else, no matter how much we say otherwise) that we are NOT trusting the Lord with ALL of our hearts; that we ARE most definitely leaning to our own understanding; and that we’re NOT acknowledging God in ALL of our ways! And those words LITERALLY become like a self fulfilling prophecy of doom and disappointment; because when we DO that, God would be a liar and fail to uphold and fulfill His Word if He made our paths straight when we mumble and grumble instead of giving Him praise, honor and glory as we rely completely on the power and promise of His unfailing Word and trust Him with all of our hearts and acknowledge Him in all of our ways.

So every time we talk about how “hard” things are, we’re in fact calling Jesus a liar or admitting that we’re acting in unbelief and sin, because it’s REALLY NOT hard when we walk in the spirit and NOT in the flesh (John 6:63 and Philippians 3:3)! After all, Jesus told us that apart from Him we could do NOTHING, but that when we REMAIN in Him we can bear much fruit (John 15:5 and Galatians 5:22-23). And then in John 15:7, Jesus even said If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. And Jesus’ words certainly aren’t remaining in us when our words speak something so contrary to what His Word promises! And His Word promises that we can do ALL things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13); that HIS grace is sufficient for us, and that HIS POWER is made PERFECT in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)!

So If we expect to experience the power and promise of God’s Word in the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families, we had best start DOING as instructed in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-20, which says:
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. In fact, it’s a good idea to read all of 1 Thessalonians 5, because there’s SO much there; particularly verse 24, which says The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.!

So let’s stop striving in our flesh; our own limited ability, our own flawed and incomplete understanding and our own puny and pathetic strength and put all of our faith and confidence in the Lord and His EVERY promise. We have seen time and time again in the powerful testimonies of others that we most definitely CAN rely on his unfailing faithfulness and ability to bring every Word and promise to pass in our lives…WHEN WE ARE OBEDIENT AND BELIEVE THAT HE WILL DO EXACTLY WHAT HE HAS SAID HE WILL DO! And one of the best ways to accomplish that is to start giving thanks and praising Him for all that we DO have; instead of crying and grieving for the one thing we DON’T have…YET!!!

I really appreciated the way Glenn Jackson expressed the same concern in THE MINISTRY LETTER 2008 ISSUE 8, which he “just happened” (not hardly!) to publish just as I was pondering the very same topic. You can read his newsletter in its entirety at the above link, but here’s what he wrote about the danger of thinking that things are hard:
“IF ONE DOES NOT LIVE ABOVE THIS PRESENT WORLD SYSTEM THROUGH FAITH IN – AND OBEDIENCE TO – THE WORD (WILL) OF GOD THEN THEY WILL BE CONSUMED BY IT!
It is very important for EVERY child of God to break any ties of heart-fellowship with the “world” in this hour. We must be a people who live far above [spiritually
speaking] the deep darkness of this present world system – for it is certain that if one does not live above it through faith in – and obedience to – the Word of God then they will SURELY be consumed by it! There is no other position. It is an amazing thing that we, as Christians, can sometimes enter into a place wherein we act as though faith and love and obedience are the “hard” way. This, of course, is a lie and deception of the Devil because the actual truth according to the Word is that the way of the “transgressor” is hard – not the way of faith, and the way of life in the Kingdom. In reality, the life of faith and love and obedience is a life of learning to experience the unlimited capacity of God.”

So it is my deepest heart’s desire and prayer that every man and woman standing for the restoration of their marriage and family will indeed come to recognize and experience that the life of faith and love and obedience as one that PROCLAIMS (AND THUS EXPERIENCES) the unlimited capacity of God! When we truly understand that NOTHING is hard or impossible with God (Jeremiah 32:27 and Luke 1:37); when we rest in, trust, acknowledge and obey His Word, we will indeed be blessed and encouraged beyond belief!!!

One of the most exciting and rewarding things about working in marriage restoration ministry is the opportunity to witness the transformation and changes God makes in the hearts and lives of the men and women He brings to FAMM. Seeing the awesome transforming power of Jesus Christ at work really is an amazing and incredible experience, especially since most are pretty lost and in a great deal of pain and distress when they first come to the ministry. But they’re just like the rest of us; foolish builders who built our homes and families, even our lives on sinking sand. Instead of building them on a foundation of solid rock by putting the words from Jesus into practice, we heard His words and didn’t take them to heart, much less put them into practice. So our lives became a living testimony of the truth and reliability of God’s Word, as found in Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Since Luke 6:46 introduces the parable of “The Wise and Foolish Builders” with “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?, our goal is to focus on putting the Word of God into practice so we can reap the bounty of it’s harvest in our lives; particularly in the restoration of our marriages and families by rebuilding them on The Solid Rock; Jesus Christ! Unfortunately, when we hear the Word and don’t PRACTICE the Word, we are deceived, which James 1:21-25 makes pretty clear by warning Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

So the good news is that we can change our situations and circumstances by putting our faith in Jesus Christ and the transforming power of His Word as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, families and lives. God is certainly true to His Word and He is more than able to bring it all to pass and HE WILL bring the restoration of our marriages to completion too if we just put our faith and confidence in Him and the power and truth of His Word as we PUT it into practice! So the following verses confirm that the completion of everything we want and stand for is possible through faith in Jesus Christ and in obedience to His Word:

Acts 3:16 – By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

James 2:22 – You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

1 John 2:5-6 – But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

What a wonderful blessing it is to know exactly what Paul meant in Philippians 1:4-6, when he wrote In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because it reminds me in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. The Lord has blessed us with so many wonderful men and women in this ministry, so I can’t help feeling like a proud mother many times when I see the personal growth of our members, especially as they so sincerely minister to each other and reap the benefits and blessings of the transforming power of practicing God’s Word. Be blessed and encouraged! GOD NEVER FAILS!!!

Note from Linda: This is a VERY powerful and important message for every man and woman standing for marriage restoration! In fact, it is one of the single most powerful kingdom principles we can implement as we stand on the power and promise of God’s Word for the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families! And it’s a perfect message to precede the Seeds Of Faith post I’m working on about why we all need to stop saying “It’s hard!” But more on that later! Just read this and PUT IT INTO PRACTICE and you won’t be able to avoid being blessed and encouraged!

Just imagine how many more marriages we would see restored if we all started getting up each morning and praising and thanking God for the work of restoration He’s doing in our marriages and families today instead of dreading the day! I bet we’d quickly lose count, so that’s my challenge to everyone who reads this; praise and thank God for the full and complete restoration of your marriage and family right now, every time you get out of bed and EVERY time the devil hits you with one of his fiery darts! And you can rest assured that will send him packing; because he WILL ALWAYS FLEE from HIS presence and when we proclaim the power and promise of the Word of God!

*****
“Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.” Psalm 114:2

“Judah was his sanctuary.” Let me give you a “literal” interpretation of this based on the meaning of these words. “Praise was God’s Holy place of habitation.” Psalm 22:3 says, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”

Do you desire more of the presence of God in your life? Then make your life a place of praise. God doesn’t dwell in murmuring and complaining. He doesn’t dwell in criticism. He doesn’t dwell in backbiting and gossip. He doesn’t dwell where arguing is, nor does He dwell in cursing and profanity. He doesn’t dwell in words of doubt, fear and unbelief. He dwells in praise.

How much time do you spend giving God praise and honor each day? Is your mouth continually filled with His praises? Do you go around your home lifting up His blessed name in praise? Praise is not just something we do in church during the song service. Praise is a lifestyle– a lifestyle of gratitude for the One who died for us, gave His life freely to redeem us from our sins, who gives us all good things, who daily loads us with benefits, who meets and supplies every need. His praise should continually be in our mouths (Psalm 34:1), and the starting place each day is in the morning. When you get out of bed the first thing you should do is open your mouth and begin to praise Him for keeping you safe through the night, for waking you up to the dawn of a new day, for giving you life, health, peace, salvation, for loving you, for making His sun shine upon you, for allowing you the privilege of coming to Him in prayer, for hearing your request, for giving you access into His very presence, (should I continue?). Make your life a sanctuary of praise and watch how His presence will dwell in your life in a greater way.

Have a great day. God dwells in praise, not in complaining.

*****
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell, and available online and sent by email free of charge for the asking from About the Master’s Business Ministry, Inc.
So please feel free to call Lorraine at (601) 833-5278 or E-mail her at mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
And you can visit her on the web at MastersBusiness.org.

God just continues to move in mighty and wondrous ways in our midst and we praise His Holy name!!!

It was with great excitement and anticipation that a new category, Homecoming Testimonies, was added to the FAM Fellowship private website this morning, where men and women who have returned to their spouses and marriages after marital separation and/or divorce can share their own Restored Marriage Testimonies! And we praise the Lord that was necessary because a returning spouse posted his testimony on the private website last night for the first time, and it really touched and blessed all of us! So I asked SNO (spouse name omitted) for permission to share his powerful testimony here, because I have no doubt that it will greatly encourage everyone standing for marriage restoration who reads it! So NEVER forget that we serve a great and mighty God and that His faithfulness to fulfill and uphold His Word NEVER fails, and be blessed and encouraged as you read the following testimony of how He did that and restored yet another marriage!

The Last Straw
God bless you all! My name is SNO; I am MNO’s (member name omitted) husband.

On Monday night, I heard my neighbor fighting with her abusive boyfriend, and I called the police and went downstairs to make sure that everything was okay. I saw that my neighbor was being assaulted by her boyfriend; so I intervened, after which, he attacked me and we started fighting with each other. Then at some point during our fight, he ran off.

I ended up getting arrested that night, and was taken to the police station and processed. I was put in a small cell with a bed, and while in that cell, I had plenty of time to think of some of the mistakes I had made. As I sat in the cell, I started to realize that all of this was happening because I took what God gave me for granted. It was because I was not being faithful to Him.

So I sat there and talked to Him, and my conversation went something like this: God, I know what this is. I know you’re fed up and I realize that you are telling me it’s time to come home…either the easy way or the hard way. So, because I know that, I am not going to ask you to get me out just yet. I just ask you to do what you do best and listen. I am angry; angry about how I was treated by the police even though I myself am a military police officer. I am confused because I don’t understand why the police arrested me when I was trying to help my neighbor. I am scared because I have never been to jail before and I am not a criminal. So now that I am able to openly say that, I only ask this one thing of you; please give me the strength to deal with this and comfort me while I am here.

Sure enough, not even two minutes later, my favorite Christian song (The Power of Your Love,, which I have not listened to in years) on one of my favorite CDs that I see every day on the stereo when I walk out of my apartment, popped into my head. If you would have asked me before all of this happened, to sing the song, I would not have been able to because I did not remember the words. But sure enough, as I sat there in that cell, God put that song in my heart and the words in my mouth. And as I sang the song, that I could not remember just a few minutes earlier, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. I felt so comforted, and I knew it was Him. I then and there made a decision, that I would change and go back to the way I once was when I was more than just a believer in Christ; when I could honestly call myself a Christian.

I was released on bail, and I took care of a few things before going back to my wife’s apartment and asking her to take me back. It’s amazing how God always shows me that He is still with me. And when He shows me, I know it is Him. He cleansed my soul with Jesus’ blood when I first started going to church. When I needed Him the most in basic training, He was there for me. When I was deployed as a part of the Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort, we stayed in a Christian Church. And He gave me the strength to finish the mission. When my son was born, the first thing I did was pray to God, letting Him know that I offered my son to Him. When I was in Iraq, He blessed me with being able to see the house where Abraham once lived and inspired me to learn more about the Bible.

And one day when I was at work, not too long ago, I had a huge scare because I heard a sound in the distance; you know, that kind of sound you don’t pay attention to until after the third time you hear it. When I finally caught wind of the sound, I realized it sounded a lot like trumpets! That made me happy and scared me all at the same time, because I thought it meant that the end had come; but it also meant that I was saved because I heard them. So I ran out into the hallway and started repenting (just in case.) I realized that the sound had stopped just as soon as I started paying attention, and I realized it was Him trying to get my attention, so I began to think to myself, “What are you trying to tell me?” I immediately called my wife and gave her the news that I knew He was talking to me and wanted me to listen.

Although I was distancing myself slowly, I always tried to keep a relationship with God, and I believe that is why He was always there for me. I always knew I was going to come back, but I was putting it off. But now I am glad to say, that He brought me back and I am here to stay! Amen!

As I read Lorraine Ezell’s Coffee Break devotion this morning, it reminded me of a Seeds Of Faith post I wrote almost two years ago about David’s victory over Goliath, and how he went out to meet him instead of shrinking back from him in fear as everyone else had. But when I went back to read Righteous Anger and a Godly Cause, I was a little surprised to see that the post was actually about how we need to experience a lot more righteous anger than we do as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families. But since that’s a good message and it was what I felt the Lord brought to my mind, I decided to share it again today anyway.

Then, as I started writing this, the Lord gave me a totally new understanding of the instructions we’re all so familiar with in Ephesians 4:26-27 (NKJV), which says “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Yet, we might not be so familiar with the last part about NOT giving place to the devil! And even though there are many ways anger can cause us to sin and we can “give place to the devil,” there’s no doubt that one of the easiest, and perhaps the most common, is what we do when we allow fear of any kind to wipe out the faith we need to speak to the mountains of separation and divorce we now face…AND FULLY EXPECT THEM TO OBEY US AND MOVE! ANYTHING we DO contrary to the counsel and instructions given in the Word of God is sin, and being controlled and hindered by fear is obvious disobedience and a lack of faith; not to mention a terrible failure to praise and glorify the Lord by denying others the opportunity to see His faithfulness, power and glory manifested in our lives and situations simply because we trust and obey Him. And most anger outside of “righteous anger” (about something that also offends and angers God) is often rooted in fear; fear of rejection; fear of being mistreated; fear of being abandoned; fear of being taken for granted; fear of being taken advantage of; fear of pain; fear of disappointment; fear of failure; fear of making a mistake; fear of not doing the right thing; fear of offending someone…and the list obviously goes on and on.

Even though I know it sound like a broken record; I always feel compelled to remind the FAM Fellowship members each time we see another marriage restored, that it is by no means just a coincidence that those who have been the most faithful to actively participate in the ministry by consistently posting praises for the Lord’s glory, and supporting and encouraging others by responding to their prayer request and praise testimonies, also tend to be the same ones being blessed with a mighty move of God’s hand in their lives and situations; including the restoration of their marriages! And that’s largely because they TRULY understand that our stand for marriage restoration is NOT about us and that God’s purpose for EVERYTHING HE CALLS US TO DO is for the ULTIMATE praise, honor and glory of Jesus Christ; which means that we have NO reason to fear anything because there is NO praise, honor or glory for Jesus Christ in marital separation and divorce, particularly when God states so clearly and unequivocally that He HATES divorce and that HE will uphold the covenant of our marriages when we are faithful.

So the next time you’re angry and tempted to sin by giving way to (and acting out of) fear, thereby giving the devil the opening he’s stalking around like a roaring lion waiting for…so he can devour you, your spouse, your marriage, your family and your testimony for the praise, honor and glory of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5:7-8); I hope and pray that you will remember and speak out loud some of the following passages of scripture:

Psalm 46:1-3 – God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah

Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:13 – For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Isaiah 51:6-8 – Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. “Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 – “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

1 Peter 3:6 – like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

1 Peter 3:14 – But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”

2 Timothy 1:7(NKJV) – For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

And in those times when we really need encouragement and to be reminded that there’s absolutely NO REASON TO FEAR when we put our faith and confidence in the love, power and faithfulness of Almighty God, we can read Psalm 91, because we will indeed be blessed and encouraged when we overcome our fear and allow God’s glory to shine in and through us!

*****
Don’t Fear The Enemy by Lorraine Ezell
“And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. ” Philippians 1:28

Another translation says not to be intimidated by your enemy. When we face the enemy we have a choice to make, we can either face him/it like the armies of Israel faced Goliath- with fear and trembling.

“When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. ” (1 Samuel 17:11, 24)

Or we can face him like David did- with faith and confidence in the Lord.

“And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. ” (verses 32, 45, 46)

Is the enemy intimidating you today? Is he making you fearful? Is he “putting you on the run”? Is he stealing from you? Well, don’t run from him! Run to the “roar” instead of away from it. Run out to meet the giant, don’t wait for him to come to you. Don’t flee from the furnace, face it. Stand strong, don’t run like a coward. Your enemy has already been defeated– Jesus Christ defeated him at Calvary!!! He has already triumphed over him. He has already destroyed his works. He has already given you the victory. In all things you have been made more than a conqueror through Christ. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. All things work together for your good. No weapon the enemy can devise will prosper against you.

Today make the choice to stand- stand having on the full armor, dig your heels in, don’t be moved, don’t backup, don’t let him “see you sweat”. He needs to be the one “sweating”. He needs to be the one who is afraid of and intimidated by you…by the Christ in you!!

Have a great day. Do not fear the enemy, run to him, not from him.

*****
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell, and available online and sent by email free of charge for the asking from About the Master’s Business Ministry, Inc.
So please feel free to call Lorraine at (601) 833-5278 or E-mail her at mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
And you can visit her on the web at MastersBusiness.org.

What a mighty and faithful God we serve! As long as I live and breathe, I’ll never cease to be totally amazed by God’s awesome and unfailing faithfulness to do EXACTLY what His Word says He will do! So it’s always one of my heart’s greatest desires to see everyone understand that as they grow in their own walk and relationship with the Lord and to know it…WITHOUT A DOUBT! Once we truly understand that, we will NEVER be the same again and we will walk in the power and victory (abundant life) Jesus came to give us (John 10:10)!

It’s truly been exciting and utterly amazing to see how the Lord has been moving in the lives of FAM Fellowship members over the past weeks! We’ve literally witnessed the physical manifestation of God’s power…including a supernaturally shattered back window on a stander’s car to get his attention when he had wandered off of God’s path…and, boy, did that work! Then a prodigal spouse supernaturally heard very loud trumpets and thought that Jesus was coming back to gather His people; and concluded that the Lord was telling him that He needed to get his life in order! And in the past two weeks, we’ve seen two marriages very suddenly and unexpectedly restored! And this morning, after making a very difficult decision a little more than a week ago to drop divorce proceedings against her husband (in a country where filing for divorce is required to get any kind of child support), one of our members posted the following response to last Friday’s Seeds Of Faith post, We Can’t Expect Things to be Fair:
“Amen! Thank you for your post. All I can say is that I was in the process of divorcing my prodigal husband and suing him for maintenance, because “life is not fair” and I needed to “make sure” that what my children and I ‘get’ out of this was fair. After much prayer and godly counsel, I decided to cancel the divorce and trust God in this ‘unfair’ world. And AFTER doing that, I received a large increase in my salary (the fourth one in a year) and my husband called me to tell me that he had bought groceries for us, left money with my children and would be depositing more money into my account later today. So I think that being obedient and trusting the Lord and HIS fairness is the only way! I wonder how many of us would continue to rely on the Lord and His Word, for everything, if we succeeded in getting “‘fairness” from the world’s justice system…just a thought.”

WOW! What a powerful testimony of what it really means to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God AND TRUST HIM TO LIFT US UP IN DUE TIME!!! And dismissing the divorce proceedings was definitely done at great risk, because there were MANY very strong and sound (rational) reasons why it was a very dangerous and risky move! But if there’s no risk and earthly sound reasons for what we do in obedience to God, where’s the faith? Yet, God very specifically tells us that He is not pleased when we shrink back from living by faith and that without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 10:38 and Hebrews 11:6). Oh, but what joy and blessings we have when we DO live by faith and NOT by sight ( 2 Corinthians 5:7)!

And then tonight, a member with a restored marriage that had come under attack again, was informed by her husband (who just moved out over the weekend!) that his plans would NOT be coming to pass after all and that he would be coming back home! What a powerful confirmation of Proverbs 16:1, which declares To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. And I can certainly testify that she had to repeatedly deny her flesh as she continually humbled herself and spoke and claimed God’s Word in her marriage and over her husband! In fact, when I asked her if she wanted me to move her name from the “Restored Marriages” category on our Prayer List since she was obviously “standing for restoration” again, she said no, because her marriage was restored! And PRAISE THE LORD, because He definitely dispatched His mighty angels to bring HIS Word to pass in her RESTORED MARRIAGE (Psalm 103:20)!!! And that just goes to prove and confirm that the doors God opens, no one can shut; just as we’re assured in Revelation 3:8, which states I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

So let’s all lift up the name of Jesus Christ with praise and thanksgiving as we continue to see His Word come to pass in the restoration of many, many more marriages! And we all will definitely be blessed and encouraged if only we remember that the more we praise our Lord and Savior, the more He will give us to praise!!! So praise God for His unfailing faithfulness and EXPECT to be blessed and encouraged!

(Note from Linda: This is another powerful message about the power and significance of our words from Lorraine Ezell! And when Jesus said that we would have whatever we say, He didn’t just mean the good and positive things we say. So some of us (if not MOST of us) are responsible for actually speaking the mountains we’re now facing right into existance! So let’s all focus on speaking to our mountains to remove them and not words that just create more! When we conquer that and learn to USE the UNLIMITED power of SPEAKING God’s Word, we will indeed be blessed and encouraged!)

***
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall
believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Mark 11:23

Is there a mountain standing in your way this morning? A mountain of fear, of unforgiveness, of pain, of discouragement, etc? The thing about mountains is that they are hard to climb- it takes lots of work, time and effort. They are also too big to find a way around. By the time you do find a way around them you have veered far off your course. So that just leaves one other course of action– speak to it!

“That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed.” We try so many things to get to the other side of the mountain- to no avail- so try speaking to it. Sometimes that’s all it takes. Speak to that fear- God didn’t give you a spirit of fear. Speak to that weakness- you are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Speak to that condemnation- there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
A mountain in your way will stop your progress- you can’t go forward. Therefore, it has to be removed. When you speak to it to be removed, your words/God’s word spoken to it in faith are like “dynamite” blasting it out of the way. Once it’s removed, you can then proceed unhindered down the path that the Lord has destined for you to travel and you will reach your destination.

Have a great day. If you want to see the mountain removed- then you have to handle it correctly.

*****
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell, and available online and sent by email free of charge for the asking from About the Master’s Business Ministry, Inc.
So please feel free to call Lorraine at (601) 833-5278 or E-mail her at mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
And you can visit her on the web at MastersBusiness.org.

One of the quickest and surest ways for men and women standing for marriage restoration to set them selves up for disappointment and allow the devil entrance and power in their lives and circumstances is to expect anything to be “fair.” Let’s set the record straight; there’s NOTHING fair, right or good about marital separation or divorce, and there never will be. So why do we continually set ourselves up for the frustration, aggravation, pain and disappointment of always expecting, or even demanding, that our spouses “be fair”…to get a “fair settlement”…or to be “treated fairly?” Where is it written that life is “fair?” Did God ever promise us that things would be fair? I don’t think so. In fact, he pretty much warns us that life won’t be fair, but promises that HE will vindicate us (Psalm 135:14) and that HE will restore all that we have lost (Zephaniah 3:20 and 1 Peter 5:10) and that HE will make our righteousness shine like the dawn and the justice of our cause like the noon day sun (Psalm 37:5-6)!

Sadly, expecting and doing everything we can to make sure or demand that things are fair is a very common hindrance to marriage restoration and the work God wants to do in us. So many times, as men and women standing for marriage restoration in the face of all of the injustice and unfairness divorce and marital separation entails, we have to choose between being right and being happy, because when conflict arises, it’s rarely possible to be both. So that might well be when our faith and obedience are tested the most, because it just goes against everything in our flesh to give up our rights or to see our spouses “get away with something” we know isn’t right or fair.

I can’t count how many times I’ve heard someone say that they feel like a doormat, or that someone else told them they’re being a doormat—even their own children. But if we consider that in the context of 1 Peter 2:18-25, we should gain a more Christ-like perspective. And since Jesus did not retaliate or make threats when HE was unfairly and unjustly insulted and suffered so terribly for our sake, because He had entrusted himself to him who always judges justly, surely we can do the same to honor and glorify Him and the great personal sacrifice He made for us.

And it is by no means a coincidence or insignificant that the above passage of scripture, 1 Peter 2:18-25, precedes the instructions given to wives and husbands in 1 Peter 3, where both wives and husbands are told “in the same way;” obviously referring to the preceding text. So we know this passage of scripture is particularly applicable to husbands and wives! Therefore, I hope and pray that we’ll all remember it the next time we’re tempted to be upset or complain because things aren’t fair. No, things aren’t fair, but that doesn’t matter when we entrust ourselves to Him who ALWAYS judges justly and who has clearly stated that it is His will and purpose to justify us and to cause ALL things to work together for our good when we love God and are called according to HIS purpose; just as we’re promised in Romans 8:28-33, which declares:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

So when we’re feeling the pain, disappointment and loss that always accompanies divorce and separation, let’s look ONLY to the Lord to be our vindicator and to restore and multiply ALL that we lose for His sake, because that’s exactly what Jesus promised us in Mark 10:29-31, which says em>”I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” So we will indeed be very blessed and encouraged when we learn to die to sin and live for righteousness for the glory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; because by His wounds, we will be healed (1 Peter 2:24)!

One of the most unexpected and surprising experiences I’ve encountered in marriage restoration ministry is the attitudes of many men and women who are standing for the restoration of their marriages when they themselves have committed adultery. For some reason, I mistakenly expected that to make them more understanding and compassionate concerning the sin now besetting their spouses; but that does not seem to be the case! In fact, I have often found them to be even LESS understanding and compassionate, and I’m usually quite surprised by the level of unforgiveness, judgment and condemnation they harbor against their spouses. And since we’ve recently experienced a significant increase of men and women coming to FAMM who have been unfaithful and yet struggle with all of the same issues other men and women strive to overcome when marital infidelity occurs, recognizing and dealing with our own sin is obviously an important principle of marriage restoration. And since we all have sinned and God makes NO distinction between our “little” sins and the sin of adultery or any other sin, this is a very important matter for all of us, because none of us have justification not to forgive our spouses, much less the right to judge or condemn THEIR sin, which in the eyes of God is no greater than our own.

But first, I want to stress to those who wrongly believe that they don’t deserve to have their marriages restored because they have committed adultery or that they have done so much damage that marriage restoration is not possible, that marriage restoration is indeed possible after adultery! In fact, in the last sixteen months, we have been blessed to witness five marriages restored when the “prodigal” became the stander (ex-prodigals (EXP), as we call them)! And in three of those situations, as the result of the EXP’s infidelity, their spouses had also become involved in non-covenant relationships by the time the Lord dealt with them and they decided to stand for their marriages. And another had become emotionally involved with someone else as well. But when they started learning what the Bible teaches about their roles as husbands and wives and how to DO what the Word of God teaches, and began to put what they learned into practice, we were all blessed to see the miracle of their marriage restorations unfold before our very eyes! So the next time the devil comes calling and tries to sell you that bill of goods; be prepared to remind him of the awesome promise we ALL have in Isaiah 55 and send him packing as you turn from YOUR sinful ways and turn to the lord!

For some reason it’s easy to think that someone else’s sin is somehow greater or worse than ours, which is probably just human nature. Yet, that is definitely also an argument and pretension setting itself up against the knowledge of God and therefore a thought that we must take captive and make obedient to Christ, the Word (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). And Romans 3:21-24 makes it VERY clear that ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that the ONLY way ANY of us are forgiven for our sin is through faith in Jesus Christ and the power of His blood to atone for our sin. It says But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. And the following passages of scripture might come as a surprise to some, because they make it abundantly clear that GOD does NOT make the same distinction between one kind of sin and another that we so readily make, so read and carefully consider the significance of the following verses:

Matthew 15:19 – For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

Matthew 19:19 – Jesus replied, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ “

Mark 10:19 – You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ “

Romans 13:9 – The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Obviously, in the eyes of God, lying, stealing, coveting, being slanderous, deceptive or misleading in any way, and failure to honor our parents and love others as ourselves are all just as sinful as murder and adultery. And as if that wasn’t enough to nail EVERY ONE OF US; let’s look at Hosea 4:1-3, which warns Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying. And then Romans 1:29-32 says They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! We’re all nailed on many counts with much of that, because it’s obvious that we’ve been no less unfaithful to God than our adulterous spouses have been to us!

But fully understanding and dealing with the error of our own ways becomes even more challenging, especially for those of us who have made the mistake of looking to the courts to “protect” us instead of truly putting our faith in the power and promise of God’s Word, when we read 1 Corinthians 6:6-11, because it states But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. So PRAISE THE LORD; no matter WHAT our spouses are doing or have done, they too can be saved, washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God just as we are! So that should be our prayer for our spouses, and that the Lord will do a work in OUR hearts and keep us from being so judgmental and condemning when we ourselves are no better. And we need to remember that it is ONLY by the grace of God that we are not in their shoes, and practice what Jesus taught about judging others in Matthew 5:1-5, where He said:
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. And even though what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:6 is often left out when stating what he taught about winning spiritual warfare, we just can’t afford to ignore the importance of what he said, which is And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. Of course, that’s just affirmation of what Jesus taught when the woman was caught in adultery, because He didn’t say anything that excused or condoned her sin; he just said that those WITHOUT sin should cast the first stones! And that’s the exact same message He gives every one of us today!

And when we read The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14, it’s apparent that the Lord doesn’t even want us to focus on the sins of our mates in prayer, because it says To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” And even though the words of our prayers might not give an account of the ways in which we think we are better than our spouses, the mere mention of THEIR sin bears witness to our own self-righteousness, and God is not pleased. In fact, based on His Word, He has to oppose such prayers, because whether we realize it or not, they are in fact prideful and self-righteous prayers (1 Peter 5:5-6).

Since we have to rely on God for the restoration of our marriages and He repeatedly promises to work mightily on behalf of the humble, it’s very important to recognize that we are all sinners saved by God’s mercy and grace. And one way to insure our own humility is to spend the time normally spent keeping account of our spouses’ sin accounting for our own as we rely on God to help us overcome it. While we might understand to some extent the awesome power of prayer, praise and fasting, I don’t think we even come close to understanding and recognizing the amazing power of genuine humility. I’ve never seen anything effect positive change in relationships and situations so completely or so rapidly as the sincere demonstration of humility that usually follows when we stop looking at the sin and wrong doing of our spouses long enough to see just how wretched our own sin is in the eyes of God. And we can always tell when we’ve made it to that place in our walk and relationship with the Lord too; because that’s the ONLY way we can demonstrate love that truly covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8), covers all wrongs (proverbs 10:12), covers over an offense (Proverbs 17:9): and that we are not rude, self-seeking, easily angered, keep no record of wrong, and are able to always protect, always trust, always hope, and always persevere (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). And there’s no greater way to be blessed and encouraged as we stand for the restoration of our marriages than learning to love our spouses according to God’s Word, because that’s when we will truly experience righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy spirit (Romans 14:17)!

When we stand for the restoration of our marriages, it is VITALLY important that we FULLY understand that God created us for His praise and glory and that we have to learn to do so if we want to experience the victorious life Jesus came to give us, including the restoration of our marriages and families. There are MANY passages of scripture that make the purpose for our very existence abundantly clear; such as 1 Peter 2:9, which states But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. And Psalm 150:6 even says Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. And Isaiah 43:18-21 certainly applies as we stand for the restoration of our marriages; confirming that God created us for His praise, and even that He expects us to LOOK for reasons to praise Him, because it says “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. And Ephesians 1:11-12 says In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

So, make no mistake about it; God is not pleased with us when we don’t praise Him and give Him the honor and glory He expects and deserves; thus NOT fulfilling the purpose for which we were created. And Jeremiah 13:10-14 provides a very powerful illustration of that, along with a STRONG warning about what happens when we don’t; it says These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! For as a belt is bound around a man’s waist, so I bound the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to me,’ declares the LORD, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.’ “Say to them: ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Every wineskin should be filled with wine.’ And if they say to you, ‘Don’t we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?’ then tell them, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land, including the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets and all those living in Jerusalem. I will smash them one against the other, fathers and sons alike, declares the LORD. I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them.'” If that doesn’t get our attention and make us understand how serious God is about getting the praise from us that He demands and deserves, I can’t imagine what will! GOD IS VERY SERIOUS ABOUT PRAISE; so let’s open our mouths and set our hands to praising Him!

I have often offended people in the past because I’m such a stickler for publicly giving God praise for everything He does for us and for refusing to allow grumbling and complaining; but that’s because I get it, and I know and understand the supernatural power praising God releases into our lives, especially as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, and that grumbling and complaining will just cause the Lord to leave us wandering in the wilderness of separation and divorce just as He did the Israelites. As the Word tells us, He is the same yesterday, today and forever! And one of the most amazing stories in the Bible demonstrating the supernaturally victorious power of praise is found in 2 Chronicles 20, where verse 22 says As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. So I strongly encourage everyone to read and study this passage of scripture, because it’s particularly encouraging when we face all the forces coming against us as we stand for our marriages; whether in the earthly or spiritual realm.

So it’s always very personally rewarding to see men and women begin to really understand the importance of giving God praise, honor and glory for EVERYTHING He does for us, and it’s been a real blessing to see how some of the FAM Fellowship members have recently come to understand and acknowledged that the Lord HAD to bring trouble to their marriages to make them realize how bad things were and give them an opportunity to make the changes necessary to make their marriages what God always wanted and intended them to be as they learn to trust and obey Him and put HIM FIRST…ABOVE ALL ELSE. We serve a great and mighty God who is ALWAYS blessing us in so many ways, but He does command and expect us to praise Him and give Him all the glory He deserves. A while back, I was trying to convince one of the fellowship members to share her praises on the private website, which she does now, and she told me she was writing it all down in her journal. So I asked her just how much glory God gets from that; not one bit! Luke 8:16 even says “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. And 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 says Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. And there’s no doubt that encouragement is one of the greatest comforts possible when we’re down and out and discouraged, or that the words of our praise reports and testimonies bring encouragement, hope and comfort to others who are suffering in similar circumstances, which glorifies and magnifies the power and promise of God as little else does and defeats and overcomes the devil just as Revelation:12-10-11 declares. So the following verses are just a few to consider as we strive to understand what the Lord teaches us about praising Him for EVERYTHING and that we’re to continually do so. And the more we make praise our habit, the more blessed and encouraged we’ll be, because the Lord WILL bless and reward us by giving us even more to praise Him for, which is powerfully confirmed and illustrated in The Parable of the Talents. So read it and heed the warning concerning what God does when we allow our fear, doubt, or indifference to keep us from bringing increase and glory to His kingdom when we hide away or bury what He has done for us; thereby STEALING AND DENYING THE PRAISE, HONOR AND GLORY DUE HIM.

Psalm 100:4-5 – Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Isaiah 63:7 – I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.

Jeremiah 33:9 – Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

1 Peter 4:11 – If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 150:1-2 – Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Romans 15:11 – And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.”

Psalm 34:1-3 – I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

Psalm 71:14-15 – But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.

Dear Lord, I thank You for bringing every man and woman standing for marriage restoration to the understanding of how serious You are about getting the praise, honor and glory for EVERYTHING You do in our lives and that when we show ourselves unworthy and unreliable to praise You in the small things, there’s no reason for You to expect us to do any better when You give us even greater blessings and praises. There’s no use giving us a powerful testimony for YOUR glory when we have already demonstrated that we won’t use it for the glory of Your name and kingdom – because we are really more focused on our own needs and pleasure! Lord, since there are many who have yet come to understand the power of praise, I pray that through the power of Your Holy Spirit, You will bring this vitally important revelation to the heart, mind and spirit of every man and woman reading this, because I so want every one of them to experience Your power and glory fully manifested in their lives and in the restoration of their marriages and families! You are so awesome and so worthy to be praised and we need to praise You over and over again for the many wonderful blessings You pour out into our lives EVERY day! We are a VERY blessed people and it’s time we recognize just how blessed we are and use the power of our testimonies to stop the devil DEAD IN HIS TRACKS! Your Word tells us very plainly that the WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY has the power to defeat the devil and to hurl him down, so we have no one but ourselves to blame when he continues to steal, kill and destroy everything precious and dear in our lives! It’s time to stand up to him with the weapons of warfare You have so graciously provided; and praising your Holy name and the works of your mighty hand is certainly a powerful one! We love and adore You, Sweet Jesus, and we do give You ALL PRAISE, HONOR AND GLORY, as we thank You and ask these things in the authority of Your most powerful name and for Your glory! Amen.

Based on recent conversations with men and women standing for marriage restoration, considerable email, and search phrases bringing people to FAMM; it’s obvious that one of the most challenging issues for some standing for the restoration of their marriage is standing itself. And it’s not unusual to see a search phrase that likely expresses how many men and women feel, which is “how long should you stand for restoration of your marriage.” So I hope to address that and encourage anyone thinking about giving up their stand for marriage restoration by sharing just a few powerful Bible verses about standing.

First and foremost though, the answer to that question is that if we have to ask it, we probably need to seriously examine our reasons and motives for standing for marriage restoration in the first place; and more than likely they’re not what they should be. So please take the time to HONESTLY answer this question. Why are you standing for the restoration of your marriage? Since that’s something I often ask the men and women I talk to, I know what the usual answers are. And based on what James 4:3 tells us about why our prayers are not answered, they are considerable cause for concern, because it says When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

The ONLY answer to the “why” question that keeps us from asking the “how long” question is “in obedience and submission to the will and word of God.” And that’s why I tell everyone I speak to about marriage restoration that we MUST first determine the will of God for our situation through studying the Bible and prayer and fasting. That’s the ONLY way we can ever stand firm for the restoration of our marriages…NO MATTER WHAT. And as Isaiah 7:9 tells us …If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.'” And when we stand for the restoration of our marriages in obedience and submission to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that makes Him the priority of our lives, and NOT our spouses and not our marriages. In fact, many of us made the mistake of putting our spouses and marriages above our walk and relationship with the Lord; yet the Bible is full of scripture verses clearly warning that God will take anything we place above Him away from us. After all, the very first commandment was that we should have no other gods before Him, and many of us are guilty of doing exactly that in terms of our husbands or wives and marriages. So don’t expect the Lord to restore a relationship that you want or think you need more than Him, because it won’t happen! However, we CAN rely on the promise found in Matthew 6:33, which says But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So our PRIMARY focus should be seeking the Lord and His righteousness, and then HE will give us the restoration of our marriages. And what an awesome promise we have in Psalm 37:4-6, which states Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Nothing but our obedience and submission to the will and word of Christ provides a foundation strong enough to withstand the storms and trials of marriage restoration, and then that’s the ONLY foundation strong enough to hold our marriages together once the Lord restores them. And Jesus gives us a very powerful illustration of that in the following verses from Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

So hearing the Word and knowing and understanding it without PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE is absolutely worthless and of no use to us as we stand for marriage restoration, because it’s what we DO with the Word of God that really matters and releases His supernatural power to work in our lives and marriages. So I hope and pray that the following verses will encourage you and remind you to stand firm in your faith and confidence in the will and word of God, and in the knowledge that HE is the one who CAN AND WILL restore your marriage.

Proverbs 10:25 – When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.

Exodus 14:13 – Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.

1 Samuel 12:16 – “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!

James 5:8 – You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 – For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Psalm 33:11 – But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Study and meditate on these verses, because when we TRULY understand and BELIEVE them, we will definitely be blessed and encouraged!

(Note from Linda: I want to share the following praise, encouragement and prayer from one of our members whose husband returned home this past week! She took the time to post it on the private site this morning; so I asked for permission to share it here as well, because I know it will be very encouraging for everyone standing for marriage restoration. And even though later in the week, I’ll be writing about the five marriages we’ve seen restored when the stander was first “the prodigal”…since we have recently seen a significant increase in the number of men and women coming to the ministry who have committed adultery, I at least want to note here that MNO (Member Name Omitted) was a prodigal turned stander when her husband (who had previously been standing for the restoration of their marriage) became involved with a NCP (non-covenant person) right before she ended her non-covenant relationship! So NEVER give up on God! And be blessed and encouraged by this wonderful message of hope and encouragement from MNO, because when we turn from our sin and turn to God, HE FREELY PARDONS US, just as Isaiah 55 promises!)

*****
Good morning everyone. I just want to praise the Lord for all of the joy and peace I have in my heart this morning. As my husband sleeps peacefully in OUR bed this morning, the praise music is playing, the children are awake and playing and I am cooking MY husband’s favorite dinner for Father’s Day. And I am overwhelmed and truly humbled by God’s infinite mercy toward me. I know today wil be a joyous Father’s Day! And I know my husband’s heart will be blessed; he has come home to a new wife…a wife that only God could have changed; believe me.

I know that many of you are still waiting, but I just want to encourage you today. Nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, will compare to the joy you will feel when your wait is over! When your faith becomes sight and you “see the salvation of the Lord”…all of the tears, sadness and pain WILL be gone.

Be courageous! DO NOT GIVE UP!!! GOD WILL fulfill EVERY promise and those who wait on Him will NOT be put to shame! HIS promise never fails! His word is sure; it is settled in heaven; it CANNOT return to Him void. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO FAIL. He is mighty; there is nothing too difficult for Him. He can move any mountain!!! Just BELIEVE!

Blessings,
MNO

My precious heavenly Father,
I lift up each and every marriage that is represented through this ministry this morning–all of my brothers and sisters who are standing and believing you for the restoration of their marriages. Fill them today with renewed strength and faith. Pour out a fresh touch upon them today to STAND with YOU for their marriages. Help them to understand fully that it is YOUR DESIRE to restore and heal their marriages for the GLORY of GOD; to show your mercy and power to all who will witness what you will do in their lives. Father, perform your word on their behalf. I pray in Jesus’ mighty, mighty name. Amen.